British troops’ show of Nato strength to Russia
BRITISH troops deployed a weapons system dubbed the “70km sniper” one hour from the Russian border yesterday as part of the largest Nato military exercise since the ColdWar.
A Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System was landed at Kiltsi in northeast Estonia from an RAF A400M Atlas transport aircraft in the early hours, in operation Swift Response.
GMLRS can deliver GPS-guided precision strikes and has played a key role in punishing Russian invaders in the war in Ukraine.
The aim of the exercise was to prove Nato can rapidly build up combat power by air-landing additional weapons, troops, vehicles and equipment.
The operation is part of the alliance’s Steadfast Defender exercise currently taking place across Europe as naval armadas, waves of fighter jets and 90,000 troops conduct land, sea, air, cyber and space operations.
Showtime
Some 82 British paras and 60 US allies jumped out of a Globemaster C-17 aircraft flying at just 1,000ft into a 1am battlefield simulation.
Thomas Keld, section commander in 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, told the Daily Express: “The build-up is the worst. Going through the hours of planning, putting on the kit.
“The best part is when the doors open, you get hooked up and the lights come on – it’s showtime.”
Another soldier stressed the importance of staying focused in the drop.
Ryan Shaves, of the 7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, said: “[The ground] is coming faster than you think, you’ve got to remember to stay tight. You have this washing machine effect when you first exit.
“That’s your first half a second.And then everything just goes completely silent. Then you’re looking around, seeing who you’re closest to and then just trying to get the best landing.
“So long as you stay tight and then roll with it then you shouldn’t really have any issues.”
The show of force comes amid soaring tensions between Nato and Russia, with its President Vladimir Putin insisting his nation was ready for wider combat. Russia is spending 25% of its budget on militarisation, according to US director of national intelligence Avril Haines – minimum equivalent Nato spending sits at 2%.
US think-tank the Institute for the Study of War has said Putin seems to be trying to weaken Nato with rhetoric over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The deputy head of Ukraine military intelligence said the West must spend more on defence to fight Russian aggression or it too faces attack. Vadym Skibitskyi told The Economist the three Baltic states could fold within days of an invasion.
They are building a defence line on their borders with Russia and Belarus.